Homeless in Canmore: Living rough and fighting off wildlife

Cody says it's been three months since he set up camp and started sleeping in the woods in Canmore, the mountain town about 100 kilometres west of Calgary.

His unsanctioned, illegal campsite includes a couple of wooden pallets that form the base of his outdoor bed in the dense woods not far from Main Street.

It sits next to a towering tree, underneath several large branches. There's a thin piece of foam, an old seat cushion, blankets and a tarp that is meant to keep him warm and dry. 

"It rained last night. That wasn't fun," he said outside a downtown coffee shop and yoga studio.

CBC News has agreed not to use Cody's last name. He fears he could be charged with illegal camping and his possessions and campsite confiscated. 

He jokes that his address is 1 Pine Tree Lane. 

Cody estimates there are many more people sleeping rough in a community where the average home price has surpassed $1 million. Rent for a one-bedroom place with a shared kitchen and bathroom ranges from $800 to $1,100 per month.

"I could have saved up a damage deposit and first month's rent, but I didn't quite have that luxury. So I figured, let's give this a try, just go out in the bush," he said.

As cooler temperatures set in, the 44-year-old doubts he'll be able to sleep outside much longer. He's already fought off a coyote, and the prospect of battling freezing temperatures is not appealing.

The coyote incident happened late at night. He says it came too close to his campsite, so he grabbed a sharpened stick he has for cooking hotdogs and used it as a weapon.

"I didn't think I'd ever have to use it but grabbed it and stabbed him. [The coyote] yelped and ran off," he said.

"I got him in the shoulder."

An emergency shelter that opened up last winter in a church and an outreach program that provided temporary accommodation for people when temperatures dipped below –20 C saw more people than the year before.

The two programs were open for nearly four months and provided shelter for 28 people who stayed a combined 366 bed nights.